scholarly journals Rainy Season Food Availability for Anurans of Kimboza Forest Reserve, Tanzania

2021 ◽  
pp. 15-25
Author(s):  
Nsajigwa Emmanuel Mbije ◽  
Asha Kamungu
Keyword(s):  
Food Availability ◽  
Rainy Season ◽  
Diet Composition ◽  
Feeding Habits ◽  
Gut Contents ◽  
Generalist Predators ◽  
Forest Reserve ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
To Come ◽  
Prey Items

Amphibians are mostly considered to be generalist predators. Some species have a narrow diet or even specialize on certain prey categories. An assessment of the feeding habits of anuran species of Kimboza forest reserve, Tanzania was conducted during rainy season between March 2017 and June 2017. Through a visual encounter survey, 93 species were captured and analyzed for gut contents. About 462 prey items were identified the most abundant component being Isoptera and Hymenoptera. There was no significant difference (P > 0.05) in the anurans’ diet (composition or diversity or preferences) among different habitats of the forest (along boundaries and within the forest) but significant difference (P < 0.05) was found between the upper Stratum and the lower Stratum of the forest. The study provides a preliminary estimation of the actual diet of anurans and establishes a general feeding pattern for these species for the management of the Kimboza forest reserve. The study recommends the intensification of similar assessments in the nearby forest areas to come up with a complete description of the feeding habits for management purposes.

scholarly journals FEEDING HABITS AND HELMINTH PARASITES OF SARDINE (S. PILCHARDUS) AND ANCHOVY (E. ENCRASICOLUS) IN THE ADRIATIC SEA

2015 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 216 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. ZORICA ◽  
V. ČIKES KEČ ◽  
O. VIDJAK ◽  
I. MLADINEO ◽  
D. EZGETA BALIČ
Keyword(s):  
Diet Composition ◽  
Feeding Habits ◽  
Stomach Contents ◽  
Stomach Content Analysis ◽  
Helminth Parasites ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Prey Composition ◽  
One Year ◽  
Paratenic Hosts ◽  
Hysterothylacium Aduncum

We examined the stomach contents of two of the most economically and ecologically important small pelagic fish species, the sardine, Sardina pilchardus and the anchovy, Engraulis encrasicolus, obtained monthly from commercial purse-seine catches operating on Croatian fishing grounds during a one-year period (January–December, 2011). Both species generally showed a similar diet, with copepod and decapod larvae as dominant prey groups. The composition of anchovy and sardine stomach contents was not size- or sex-related, but throughout the year, a significant difference in diet composition was observed for each species as well as between species. Two gastrointerstinal helminths; the digenean Parahemiurus merus and nematode Hysterothylacium aduncum, were recorded during the stomach content analysis. Differences in population dynamics between the two parasites are congruent with differences in the prey composition of sardine and anchovy, reflecting fine-tuned interactions in the trophic web between parasites and intermediate or paratenic hosts included in the sardine and anchovy diet.

scholarly journals Diet Composition and Seasonal Fluctuations in the Feeding Habit of Snow Barbel (Schizothorax plagiostomus) in River Indus, Pakistan

2018 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 8
Author(s):  
Muhammad Qayash Khan ◽  
Muhammad Zubair Anjum ◽  
Shamim Akhter ◽  
Irfan Khattak ◽  
Abid Ali
Keyword(s):  
Diet Composition ◽  
Feeding Activity ◽  
Fish Fauna ◽  
Feeding Habit ◽  
Gut Contents ◽  
Catch Per Unit Effort ◽  
Food Items ◽  
Unit Effort ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
River Indus

Background:Schizothorax plagiostomus is widely distributed in river Indus and is most important food fish in Pakistan. The feeding habit of fish is directly related to the size of fish, its metabolic rate and environmental temperature. The accurate description of fish diet and feeding habit is a very important aspect in fisheries management for the purpose of species conservation, breeding and culture. The present work was aimed to investigate the specie abundance, the diet composition and seasonal variations in the feeding habit of Snow barbell Schizothorax plagiostomus.Materials, Methods & Results: A total of 1799 fish specimens were caught at the confluence of six tributaries along river Indus at Indus Kohistan, northeastern Pakistan. The fish were collected by 5-panels of gill net during first week of each month. The site specific Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) and season specific CPUE of fish fauna were assessed. For the gut content analysis 240 samples (99 male and 141 females) of S. plagiostomus were selected on monthly basis. Frequency of occurrence method and volumetric method were applied to record the different food items in the gut of S. plagiostomus. The physico-chemical parameters, NO3 concentration and dissolved Co2 of water from different localities of river Indus were recorded month wise by Hach sensION 156 meter, Horiba LAQUA Nitrate Meter and EA80 meter respectively. Significant difference was observed in water temperature during the four seasons. Except alkalinity no other water parameter showed significant variation across different localities. The results showed that highest Mean CPUE was observed for Darel Stream (0.55) and lowest for Jalkot stream (0.26). Peak abundance of fish was recorded in the month of November with a mean catch of 44.50, mean CPUE of 0.74 and mean Kruskal-Wallis rank value of 63.25. Spirogyra and Ulothrix occurred as maximum food items in the gut of S. plagiostomus during summer while their minimum amount occurred during autumn. According to the ranking index spirogyra and ulothrix ranked higher with significant difference in comparison to other food items. The results showed that S. plagiostomus is phytophagous in its feeding habit, which consumed mainly algae attached to stones and pebbles during the whole year. However, the presence of some secondary items such as animal matter, detritus, sand and mud might be due to the distinct availabilities of food along the seasons. The highest feeding activity of S. plagiostomus was recorded during summer while the lowest one occurred during autumn, spring and winter. Discussion: Catch per unit effort (CPUE) is an indirect measure of the abundance of a target species. It is used as an index of stock abundance in fisheries and conservation biology. During the study low fish fauna was found in River Indus as reported previously. Majority of the fish occurred in snow fed river tributaries in the study area as these tributaries are comparatively less turbulent. Previous studies have also recorded that Schizothoracine generally prefer clean waters. The present findings of gut contents analysis showed clearly that S. plagiostomus is a phytophagous fish which scrap and consumed spirogyra and ulothrix attached to stones and pebbles. Earlier it was reported that mouth of S. plagiostomusis is inferior, wide, with deep lower jaw having keratinized cutting edge and the lower lip is folded and expanded with numerous papillae making it best suited for scrapping algae attached to stones and pebbles. The highest feeding activity was observed during warmer months as compared to cold months. S. plagiostomus spawn twice in a year in autumn and in spring. The highest feeding activity of S. plagiostomus seems to be link with a reflex of recovery strategy due to physiological process of gonadal development.

scholarly journals Can mandible morphology help predict feeding habits in Antarctic amphipods?

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (6) ◽  
pp. 496-507
Author(s):  
Loïc N. Michel ◽  
Fabienne L. Nyssen ◽  
Patrick Dauby ◽  
Marie Verheye
Keyword(s):  
Functional Groups ◽  
Trophic Ecology ◽  
Feeding Habits ◽  
Gut Contents ◽  
Ecological Niches ◽  
Feeding Strategies ◽  
Generalist Predators ◽  
Dietary Specialization ◽  
Important Place ◽  
Antarctic Amphipod

AbstractIn Antarctica, amphipods form a highly diverse group, occupy many different ecological niches and hold an important place in food webs. Here, we aimed to test whether differences in Antarctic amphipod feeding habits were reflected in their mandible morphology, and if mouthpart specialization could be used to describe amphipod trophic ecology. To do so, we compared mandible morphology in nine species spanning seven families and five functional groups (grazers, suspension feeders, generalist predators, specialist predators and scavengers). Mandible morphology adequately depicted some aspects of amphipod trophic ecology, such as the trophic level at which animals feed or their degree of dietary specialization. On the other hand, links between mandible morphology and amphipod diet were seldom unambiguous or straightforward. Similar adaptations were found in distinct functional groups. Conversely, mandible morphology could vary within a single functional group, and phylogenetic effects sometimes complicated the interpretation of form-function relationships. Overall, mandible morphology on its own was generally not sufficient to precisely predict amphipod feeding strategies. However, when combined with other methods (e.g. gut contents, trophic markers), it constitutes a valuable source of information for integrative studies of amphipod ecological diversity in the Southern Ocean.

scholarly journals Diet of Dinocras cephalotes and Perla marginata (Plecoptera: Perlidae) in an Apennine stream (northwestern Italy)

2007 ◽  
Vol 139 (3) ◽  
pp. 358-364 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tiziano Bo ◽  
Stefano Fenoglio ◽  
Giorgio Malacarne
Keyword(s):  
Trophic Structure ◽  
Prey Selection ◽  
Feeding Habits ◽  
Gut Contents ◽  
Freshwater Invertebrates ◽  
Trophic Preferences ◽  
Prey Items

AbstractThe feeding habits of nymphs of Perla marginata (Panzer) and Dinocras cephalotes (Curtis) were investigated in the Rio Orbarina (northwestern Italy). These species are among the largest European carnivorous freshwater invertebrates and they play an important role in the trophic structure of small, fishless Apennine streams. We examined the gut contents of 60 P. marginata and 60 D. cephalotes nymphs to characterize the diets and evaluate possible feeding differences between the species. In both of these predaceous stoneflies, the diet included vegetable detritus, mainly in the smaller instars. Both species showed trophic preferences, since only a few taxa constituted most of the ingested prey items, independently of their availability in the substratum. Interestingly, there were no clear differences in prey selection between nymphs of the two species.

scholarly journals Diet composition of freshwater crab, Potamon koolooense Rathbun, 1904 from hillstream of Uttarakhand

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 301-304 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. N. Bahuguna ◽  
Anita Rawat Rana ◽  
Shurveer Singh
Keyword(s):  
Diet Composition ◽  
Feeding Habits ◽  
Carapace Width ◽  
Stomach Content Analysis ◽  
Mountain Stream ◽  
Freshwater Crab ◽  
Food Groups ◽  
Stream Communities ◽  
Plant Matter ◽  
Significant Difference

The present study was carried out to study the diet composition of freshwater crab, P. koolooense in hillstream Khoh of Uttarakhand during November, 2013 to October, 2014. Total 105 crab samples were used for the study, 35 male and 47 female were found with food in their stomach while rest of the 23 had empty stomachs. The carapace length (CL) ranged from 12mm to 49mm, carapace width (CW) from 15mm to 59mm and total weight (TW) from 2.08g to 60.12g. Stomach content analysis of the animal showed that the diet of the animal composed of animal matter, plant matter, algae, fungi, debris and unidentified materials. Animal matter ranged from (3.27-11.93%), plant matter (4.37-14.44%), algae (1.73-6.15%), fungi (0.17-1.43%), debris (28.18-40.47%) and unidentified materials (36.46-50.05%) in males while in the female animal matter ranged from (3.09-12.34%), plant matter (4.45-12.73%), algae (1.03-7.61%), fungi (0.02-3.34%), debris (23.18-43.34%) and unidentified (30.31-51.04%). Unidentified materials recorded maximum and fungi recorded minimum in both the sexes of Potamon koolooense. A significant difference was observed at p<0.05 between food groups- algae and unidentified matter in both sexes. This is the first report, to key out and quantifies the dietary items and feeding habits of crab in Uttarakhand which would be helpful in interpreting the ecological niche of the animal in mountain stream communities.

scholarly journals Small Jellyfish as a Supplementary Autumnal Food Source for Juvenile Chaetognaths in Sanya Bay, China

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 956
Author(s):  
Lingli Wang ◽  
Minglan Guo ◽  
Tao Li ◽  
Hui Huang ◽  
Sheng Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Diet Composition ◽  
Food Source ◽  
Pcr Amplification ◽  
Environmental Parameters ◽  
Food Group ◽  
Gut Contents ◽  
Functional Roles ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Population Recruitment ◽  
Sanya Bay

Information on the in situ diet of juvenile chaetognaths is critical for understanding the population recruitment of chaetognaths and their functional roles in marine food web. In this study, a molecular method based on PCR amplification targeted on 18S rDNA was applied to investigate the diet composition of juvenile Flaccisagitta enflata collected in summer and autumn in Sanya Bay, China. Diverse diet species were detected in the gut contents of juvenile F. enflata, including copepods, small jellyfish, anthozoa, polychaetes, echinoderms, diatoms and dinoflagellates. The diet composition showed obvious differences between summer and autumn. Copepod, such as Temora turbinata, Canthocalanus pauper and Subeucalanus crassus, dominated the diet in summer, representing up to 61% of the total prey items. However, small jellyfish, mainly consisting of Bougainvillia fulva, Solmissus marshalli and Pleurobrachia globosa, was the main food group (72.9%) in autumn. Environmental parameters showed no significant difference between summer and autumn. The mean abundance of juvenile chaetognaths in autumn was about eight times higher than that in summer, while the abundance of potential food prey was similar in both seasons. Our results suggested that juveniles chaetognaths might consume small jellyfish as a supplementary food source under enhanced feeding competition in autumn.

scholarly journals Applying and refining DNA analysis to determine the identity of plant material extracted from the digestive tracts of katydids

PeerJ ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. e6808 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurel B. Symes ◽  
Nicole L. Wershoven ◽  
Lars-Olaf Hoeger ◽  
Jessica S. Ralston ◽  
Sharon J. Martinson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Material ◽  
Dna Analysis ◽  
Feeding Habits ◽  
Time Of Day ◽  
Barro Colorado Island ◽  
Gut Contents ◽  
Neotropical Forest ◽  
Amplification Success ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Primer Sets

Background Feeding habits are central to animal ecology, but it is often difficult to characterize the diet of organisms that are arboreal, nocturnal, rare, or highly mobile. Genetic analysis of gut contents is a promising approach for expanding our understanding of animal feeding habits. Here, we adapt a laboratory protocol for extracting and sequencing plant material from gut contents and apply it to Neotropical forest katydids (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae) on Barro Colorado Island (BCI) in Panama. Methods Our approach uses three chloroplast primer sets that were previously developed to identify vegetation on BCI. We describe the utility and success rate of each primer set. We then test whether there is a significant difference in the amplification and sequencing success of gut contents based on the size or sex of the katydid, the time of day that it was caught, and the color of the extracted gut contents. Results We find that there is a significant difference in sequencing success as a function of gut color. When extracts were yellow, green, or colorless the likelihood of successfully amplifying DNA ranged from ~30–60%. When gut extracts were red, orange, or brown, amplification success was exceptionally low (0–8%). Amplification success was also higher for smaller katydids and tended to be more successful in katydids that were captured earlier in the night. Strength of the amplified product was indicative of the likelihood of sequencing success, with strong bands having a high likelihood of success. By anticipating which samples are most likely to succeed, we provide information useful for estimating the number of katydids that need to be collected and minimizing the costs of purifying, amplifying, and sequencing samples that are unlikely to succeed. This approach makes it possible to understand the herbivory patterns of these trophically important katydids and can be applied more broadly to understand the diet of other tropical herbivores.

Feeding habits of the seahorse Hippocampus patagonicus in San Antonio Bay (Patagonia, Argentina)

2008 ◽  
Vol 88 (7) ◽  
pp. 1503-1508 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorena P. Storero ◽  
Raúl A. González
Keyword(s):  
Protected Area ◽  
Diet Composition ◽  
Marine Protected Area ◽  
San Antonio ◽  
Feeding Habits ◽  
Gut Contents ◽  
Dietary Composition ◽  
Frequency Of Occurrence ◽  
Vulnerable Species ◽  
Opportunistic Predator

The aim of this study was to evaluate the dietary composition of the Patagonian seahorse Hippocampus patagonicus in San Antonio Bay, Patagonia, Argentina. To this end, analyses of stomach and gut contents were carried out and the diet composition was compared to the potential preys available in the natural environment. Samples were collected from different places in San Antonio Bay, a Marine Protected Area in San Matías Gulf. Type and number of prey present in the digestive tracts were registered and frequency of occurrence (%FO) and number of prey (%N) were calculated for each study area. Amphipods (Gammaridae, Caprellidae and Hiperidae) and decapods are the main dietary items of H. patagonicus in San Antonio Bay. There were differences in %FO and %N at different sites, which could indicate differences in abundance and availability of prey in the environment. No dietary differences were detected between sex and size of seahorse (ANOVA, P > 0.05). Results from the present study show that, in nature and probably due to limiting environmental factors, H. patagonicus behaves as an opportunistic predator, which preys on the most abundant and vulnerable species present in the environment.

scholarly journals Feeding habits of oriental sole (Brachirus orientalis) on the Bushehr coast of the Persian Gulf

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 175-185
Author(s):  
Dima Alghada ◽  
Yazdan Keivany ◽  
Fatemeh Paykan-Heyrati
Keyword(s):  
Coastal Waters ◽  
Persian Gulf ◽  
Diet Composition ◽  
Prey Species ◽  
Feeding Habits ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Important Prey ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
The Persian Gulf ◽  
Prey Items

AbstractThe feeding habits of oriental sole, Brachirus orientalis (Bloch & Schneider) were investigated using 300 male and female specimens collected from coastal waters of Bushehr Province (Persian Gulf) between June 2015 and July 2016. The total length of females and males ranged from 16.2 to 38.5 cm and 14.1 to 29.1 cm, respectively. Of the total number of stomachs examined, 225 were empty (vacuity index = 77%). This index varied significantly over the year (P < 0.05), with maximum values in April and September and minimum in October and May. The B. orientalis diet was composed of nine prey species belonging to five classes. The most important prey items were Crustacea and Mollusca (Bivalvia and Gastropoda). Diet composition showed little seasonal variation, and Crustacea, Bivalvia, and Gastropoda were the most important prey items in all seasons. Sex did not appear to have any significant effects on dietary composition, and the main prey items were consumed by both males and females (P > 0.05).

scholarly journals The trophic structure of fish in seaweed farms, and adjacent seagrass and coral habitats in Zanzibar, Tanzania

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 17-27
Author(s):  
Batuli M. Yahya ◽  
Saleh A. Yahya ◽  
Aviti J. Mmochi ◽  
Narriman S. Jiddawi
Keyword(s):  
Coral Reefs ◽  
Trophic Structure ◽  
Relative Proportion ◽  
Predatory Fish ◽  
Gut Contents ◽  
Fish Diet ◽  
Diet Specialization ◽  
Floating Seaweed ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Prey Items

Coral reefs, seagrasses and seaweed farms (Eucheuma denticulatum) are characteristic habitats in many parts of the coast of Zanzibar, Tanzania. However, information on trophic interactions, movements of fish, and variation in fish diet specialization between these habitats are scarce. The present study determined the trophic structure and the variation in diet composition of fish caught in (floating) seaweed farms, and in adjacent seagrass and coral reef habitats in Pongwe, Zanzibar. Fish were caught using traditional basket traps (dema) and gut contents of 392 fish were analyzed. A one-way Analysis of Similarities (ANOSIM) showed that there was a significant difference in the composition of prey items eaten by invertivores in different habitats (Global R = 0.109, p = 0.002.). There was no significant difference in the composition of prey items eaten by herbivores, invertivore-piscivores and omnivores (p > 0.05), likely due to movement of fish between these habitats for foraging. There was no significant difference in the relative proportion of trophic groups between the habitats (p > 0.05) except for herbivores (p < 0.05). Floating seaweed farms attract invertebrates and smaller fish, thus providing feeding grounds for predatory fish, and should be considered as ecologically important habitats as are coral reefs and seagrass beds.

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